EDITOR'S NOTE: Because of the importance of the topic, Superintendent Selleck was allowed to exceed the 600-word limit for local op/eds.

This time of the year brings the possibility of weather-related school closure. The decision to cancel school due to extreme weather conditions is determined by one factor: safety of all students and staff.

When closure is a possibility, consideration is given to weather reports, temperature, wind, ice and snow, road conditions and visibility. If a decision is made to cancel or close school, a message will be sent to FSD145 families through School Messenger, local media are notified and the district's website and social media pages are updated.

This is truly one of the toughest decisions to make - whether or not to hold school under extreme weather conditions. We examine multiple data points provided to us by several forecasts. This is tricky in itself because forecasts are not identical. For example, Monday morning's wind chill at 6:30 a.m. as reported by AccuWeather was minus 17 degrees. At that exact same time, the Weather Channel reported minus 30 degrees. That 13 degree swing is really significant when applying our board policy, which asks us to evaluate the necessity of school closure when wind chill ranges between minus 20 and minus 30.

In this particular instance, following the AccuWeather temperature reading means that we wouldn't really consider closing school. On the other hand, the Weather Channel report indicates that schools should definitely be closed.

So which forecast should we follow, and when? It's an inexact science, and our crystal ball is often fuzzy. Anyone who has lived in our region knows that the only thing predictable about our weather is that it is often unpredictable. Weather forecasts can change quickly, and predictions don't actually happen.

We have heard from so many families that waiting until the morning to notify them about school closure is far too late to make childcare arrangements. In response, this winter season we have tried to meet parents' needs by making decisions the night before. This early notification better allows families to make arrangements for the next school day. If the weather changes overnight, we honor the decision made previously so as not to upset family plans yet again or to broadcast seemingly conflicted messages.

Some have asked about the possibility of a delayed start when the temperatures are expected to improve during the morning hours. If we call a two-hour late start, by state regulation, we can't do that until the morning in question, thus leaving parents scrambling for backup plans yet again. Utilizing a delayed start option means the very early phone calls and very short notice in the morning - the very things families have repeatedly asked us to avoid - would return.

We've also heard comments regarding those wintry days during which we may not have closed when other districts did, or perhaps FSD145 closed while other districts remained open. Please know that our decisions are made for our kids, based upon forecast information for our immediate area.

Page 2 of 3 - Two clear examples of this situation occurred just last week. You may recall that several neighboring districts closed due to road conditions last Wednesday. Yet FSD145 schools were open as usual. The following two days brought more dangerously cold weather advisories for Freeport, and we closed our schools based upon those forecasts. At least three surrounding counties were not issued those same weather advisories. A different forecast equals a different response and action plan.

Here's where we sit right now - we never want to close school. Ever. We've had nine weather-related closure days this season. That's far more than any of us ever imagined (again, the crystal ball tends to get cloudy, along with the winter skies). We have closed schools to primarily protect our 1,300 students who walk up to 1.5 miles each way in the dangerous cold. On the other hand, we have another 2,900 students who do not walk and can typically get to school on even the coldest days. We are doing the best to balance those needs and to monitor the forecasts minute-by-minute, looking for patterns and changes that allow us to keep the schools open.

We certainly know that no matter which decision is made, some families may not agree with that decision. We respect parents' decisions when it comes to the well-being of their children. We've made it very clear that parental discretion guides the choice to keep children home during extreme weather conditions.

The School District recognizes that parents will ultimately need to decide what is best for their own children. Our board policy does allow for a small number of excused absence days beyond illness and family emergency. Parents may utilize those excused days in exactly this kind of situation. Too cold in your opinion to send kids to school? We understand. All we ask it that you let the schools know, request an excused absence in writing and avoid misusing this option.

The numerous closure days have raised questions regarding the end of the school year. We have exceeded the emergency days built into our calendar. Even so, as the school calendar indicates, the last day for students at this time will be May 30. The district will apply to the Regional Office of Education for "Act of God" days to forgive the extra days beyond the five emergency days. This means that students will not have to make them up. "Act of God" days are available for precisely what we have experienced - unusual and extreme weather conditions that force schools to close in order to protect students and staff. The end-of-year calendar for Freeport High School graduating seniors, found on the FHS website, will not be impacted by the weather cancellations.

Thanks for reading and for walking through our decision-making process with me. And thank you for your patience and understanding as we do our very best to attend to both the safety and educational needs of all of our 4,200 students every day.

Page 3 of 3 - Roberta Selleck is superintendent of the Freeport School District.